Aelwin Hawksly
Aelwin Hawksly is a Breton Undead and one of the main characters in Epoch of Murk. Background Aelwin was born on 4E 202 to Ciel Hawksly, a nobleman, and his unknown spouse, who would later be absent during young Hawksly's upbringing. Ciel married Candice Hawksly in 4E 209. Candice was a cruel woman that thoroughly enjoyed bullying and beating Aelwin, resulting in him growing very cowardly and reserved. A young boy, Aelwin was expected to be the next successor to his father Ciel, who was the King of Betony at that time. However, Ciel was imprisoned, and Candice framed the boy for treason. Aelwin was banished from the court at the age of eight, and had to get by all by himself. He later met an old man, who lived in Evermor, who adopted the young boy. He lived with this man for ten years, until his death in 4E 220. Aelwin was forced to escape Evermor due to the outbreak of Ephesus Plague in 4E 221. The Plague wiped out most of High Rock's population, leaving the rest, including Aelwin, to survive by any means, even if it meant killing other living people. His first murder was that of one of the survivors that turned on the teenager, after it was revealed that he got infected. Aelwin killed the man by continuously beating his head against the rock, blinded by agony. He later took the man's possessions: a leather jerkin and a steel shortsword. Aelwin got infected sometime after the outbreak on his way south to Wayrest. He lasted for ten full days before reaching the virus' terminal state. As per his own request, Aelwin was left in the forest off the coast of Iliac Bay by a group of survivors that he was traveling with. Events of Epoch of Murk 'Chapter I' "[http://tes-sandbox.wikia.com/wiki/Thread:176665 Forsaken]" Aelwin is resurrected in the graveyard of Forsaken Expanse after the initial group is split. Upon making his way out of the grave, he encounters Dunistair and Katla the Black, confronted by three Revenants, and helps them fight off the corpses. Aelwin gets his leg severely wounded by a lightning bolt, and scars the back of his right hand against a rock that he later uses to bash the Revenant's head. Dunistair gives Aelwin a rusty steel sword, as the shortsword that the teenager was using stuck in the Revenant's abdomen. Aelwin then loots the Firebolt spell tome and a soul gem from the corpse. Together, the three travel towards the Odious Swamp, where they encounter a mysterious figure, who revealed his name to be Abelkain, and a recently resurrected Jericho Volkin. After a brief conversation with the Breton stranger, Aelwin suffers a breakdown due to the wounds inflicted during the graveyard skirmish and refuses to accept his current state, failing an attempt to commit suicide. After the group is reunited with Fyr Gieda, Glorfindel, Jawan Hiver and Seven, they leave Abelkain, and Fyr helps Aelwin tend to his wounds as they traverse deeper into the swamp. Having climbed on the hill overlooking a strange church, the group debates on continuing the travels or setting up camp on the hill. Aelwin takes notice of the ringing bell and the wheezing creatures, alerting the group about the danger below. After the group decides to stay, they meet another stranger, clad in plate armor. "[http://tes-sandbox.wikia.com/wiki/Thread:181212 In Danger]" Nervous and wishing to greet the friendly stranger, Aelwin suffers from a yet another breakdown, coughing badly and spitting more blood than before. The stranger, Abello, remarks Aelwin's sickly condition and helps the group, now joined by Brolin Duskmire, gather wood for the fire. Once Abello asks about the Undead's backstories, Aelwin reveals his terminal state of the Plague by cutting a black spot full of black pus, warning others that he can possibly infect them as well if they're not careful enough. He then breaks in tears, telling the group that he wishes he could be put out of the nightmare he is in. Later, feverish Aelwin hears voices and sees his step-mother, Candice, and a little girl of unknown origin, before the dream sequence is interrupted by gruesome images of the Plague killing them. He then becomes irritated by Abello's poems, since the latter's verse about the Breton didn't rhyme. Abello becomes curious whether Aelwin can entertain the group, contributing to the Breton's irritation. The next morning, Aelwin wakes up to see that Abello has departed, and left his black soul gem. The Breton takes the gem, and after a brief conversation with Brolin and Jericho, opens the spell tome to learn the incantation. He then notices a masked figure in the church's bell tower, believing him to be the one who rang the bells, before a vision of the same little girl appears by the church, calling out for the Breton. The group proceeds their journey towards the town of Farrun. Still wounded, Aelwin asks Fyr for healing herbs. He then applies the herb to his wound, and whilst playing with his newfound spell, Aelwin notices that the nail on his index finger is dislocated, and screams. After futile attempts to push the nail back in, the Breton falls unconscious, only to be caught by Jericho, who carries him until the former wakes up. When the group gets close to the city, they hear eerie sounds and decide to get ready for a fight that might occur. Aelwin prepares himself for a clash, despite being weak and unable to swing his rusty sword. This causes Dunistair and Jericho to express concern about the young Breton's condition. Aelwin then notices a column of smoke, and the conversation is interrupted by screams and cries of help from the other side. This causes the group to split once again, as Fyr and Glorfindel decide to investigate the smoke, and Jawan rushes towards the screams, wishing to help whoever was in danger. Aelwin chases Jawan, as the latter went alone, and the two are joined by the rest of the group moments later. The party then discovers a shack and witnesses Abelkain mutilating Abello for "having gone too far" and "halting the group's progress". The latter is almost beaten to death, his leg severed by Abelkain's sword. Aelwin experiences a panic attack whilst Jawan and Dunistair confront Abelkain. The young Breton reaches out to his sword, thinking of euthanizing Abello, but is weak and hesitant. He is grabbed and tossed against the wall by Abelkain, infuriating Dunistair and causing him to attack. Abelkain then takes Abello and threatens to slit his throat. In a split-second decision, Jericho delivers a thrust at Abelkain's ribs, rendering him vulnerable, and Aelwin kills him by hacking his neck with a pus-smeared sword before collapsing. Dunistair loots Abelkain's corpse and suggests that Aelwin should take his iron sword; Hawksly finds it too heavy to use. Frustrated, he slashes Abelkain's corpse and exits the shack, only to be visited by a vision of the girl that haunted him before. The once-innocent girl mocks Aelwin for being too weak, causing the latter to self-harm. Dunistair hoists Aelwin over his shoulder, and distraught Jericho runs up to the young Breton, accidentally calling him "Arniik" upon asking whether the former is alright. Aelwin has difficulties with keeping his conscience, and passes out. He later wakes up when the group is reunited with Glorfindel, Fyr, the two Undead named Slade Frel and Brennus Augustus, trapped by insane peasants inside a house, and Abello, who has been resurrected and is intact, having been killed by Katla as per his own request. One of the newest group members, Brolin, expresses his disgust by Aelwin's condition, who cried tears of blood upon waking up. The latter confronts the elf hysterically. As the group reaches the All Saints' Cathedral, Jericho reveals that Aelwin reminds him of his late son, Arniik. Aelwin is having a mental breakdown yet again, and experiences a flashback upon Jericho saying that Hawksly is not a monster. Dunistair claims that four of the statues of the church are familiar to him, and explains what they are. Aelwin recognises the statues of Knight-King Rendall and his lieutenant. Abello asks Aelwin to hand over his black soul gem to summon the wraith of Sebastien the Dispirited in order to aid the group with whatever they find inside the church. The group enters the cathedral to witness a grotesque, massive monster resting within. It appears to be docile, and Aelwin suggests that the group, arguing about how to defend from the monster, goes through the open door instead. The group finds themselves in a cellar and confronts Knight-King Rendall's lieutenant, accompanied by his two lackeys. "[http://tes-sandbox.wikia.com/wiki/Thread:188556 Blissful Ignorance]" The group splits up to defeat the enemy, and Aelwin teams with Glorfindel to defeat one of the Lieutenant's lackeys, saving Abello from a fatal attack in the process. The group is soon joined by Lyre, an Undead woken outside the cathedral. They manage to kill their enemy, and wounded Aelwin passes out before getting healed by Abello, who used the healing properties of the lackey's sword. Upon waking up, Aelwin realises that the eyelid on his right eye has slid down, and that he is crying black blood. The group halts their progress to take care of Aelwin's condition, as he turns blind and is missing the irides. Hawksly rips the eyelid off, leaving a scar under his eye that he later covers with a bandage. After a brief pause, Aelwin regains vision, the group resumes their journey to Jehanna, and encounters a lone knight surrounded by dozens of hostile soldiers, presumably the men of a mysterious Lionheart of Jehanna. Dunistair rushes to help, despite Lyre advising the groupmates to be cautious, and Aelwin is quick to join in. In the midst of battle, the group is joined by Kallen Dorn, and forces the soldiers to retreat. The knight, Richard, introduces himself to the group and takes notice of Dunistair's armour, previously belonging to Ghastly Simon. Richard then decides to join the group on their way to the city, since Abello has the key. Jericho is driven crazy by voices in his head that attempt to turn him against Aelwin and eventually force to eat him, since he is the most useless member of the group. The voices eventually force Jericho to shout out loud, alerting the creatures of the wilderness and drawing suspicion from Richard and Abello, who get ready to attack Jericho if he attempts to lunge at Hawksly. Glorfindel helps the Breton calm Jericho, and they resume their trip towards the city. Glorfindel remarks on Aelwin's strength of soul, cheering him up. As the group members share their backstories once more, with Abello finally revealing his own, Aelwin realises he forgot his life before death. Struggling to recollect the pieces of his past, a vision of his companion distracts him and causes him to experience a breakdown. This annoys Richard, who suggests that the group should leave Aelwin behind, much to the dismay of Abello, Dunistair and Jericho. As the three intimidate the knight, the argument eventually leads to a fight that ensues between Jericho and Richard. Frustrated Abello continues the journey without the fighters, and is joined by Aelwin, Fyr and Glorfindel. Richard soon rejoins the group, telling that Fyr should go and check if Jericho is dead; Aelwin does this instead. He then meets Dunistair, who is about to put Jericho's life to an end so that he can resurrect in a cemetery outside Jehanna. Aelwin interrupts the Breton, contemplating that he is the one to blame for the incident. Dunistair brushes it off, mercy killing Jericho, and the two rejoin the group. Jericho meets the group at the cemetery just outside Jehanna; wondering why the group still keeps Richard with them, as he holds hard feelings towards him, the Redguard still acts as if nothing happened, and helps Dunistair train Aelwin swordplay before they set out into the town. Jericho teaches Aelwin to dodge, and Hawksly fails several times, irritating both in the process. This prompts the Redguard to confess that he was responsible for sending the tainted shipment to High Rock, triggering the outbreak of the plague that killed him and everyone he knew and loved. Angered, Aelwin dodges Jericho's attacks and renders him vulnerable, receiving praise from his mentor in return since anger appeared to make him stronger. Dunistair and Fyr remark on the dangers of not controlling one's emotions, but disheartened Aelwin leaves the training field to tend to his wounds. The figure of his companion appears for the last time, leaving a white nightshade for young Hawksly. As Aelwin seemingly ignores Glorfindel's sign of concern, buried in his thoughts, the group meets a mysterious lancer by the name of Delevan Mannett, and continues the journey to Jehanna. Aelwin is weakened due to the bleeding wound. As the group reaches the city's gates, reuniting with Sebastien the Dispirited, and is wondering how to open it, Aelwin prefers to stay away in seclusion. He is joined by Dunistair, before Abello uses the fern from the cathedral to open the gates. The group is shrouded in a thick wall of mist caused by the gates opening, and starving Jericho, unable to control his plight, lunges at Aelwin, biting off some of his flesh and eventually killing him. 'Chapter II' "[http://tes-sandbox.wikia.com/wiki/Thread:200978#101 '''Moth Trap']" Following his death from severe blood loss, he's woken in Hawksly Estate by the girl that kept haunting him in hallucinations over the course of Chapter I, and she reveals herself to be Aelwin's older sister, Adelle Hawksly. Upon discovering that he is trapped within his seven-year-old body, intact and uninfected by the Plague, Aelwin realises that he is in a dream sequence that replays moments of his childhood, still retaining his memory of the events that had happened before his death. This causes him to curse out loud, which in turn prompts Adelle to call out for Candice. Meanwhile, Richard takes notice of the fact that Aelwin's body hasn't been swallowed by murk, and Dunistair hoists his corpse over the shoulder after brutally mutilating Jericho, who accepts the torture and repents before dying. In another dream sequence, Aelwin finds himself in the middle of a field near Hawksly Estate with Adelle, who calls out for Candice once more. This causes Aelwin to run for the nearby forest in order to avoid the beating. There, he meets his childhood friend, Hastrel, resting by the stream. Knowing that Hastrel is long-dead, Aelwin is hesitant to engage in a conversation but approaches him regardless. Aelwin retells Hastrel the events that happened before his death at the hands of Jericho, and the latter makes Hawksly believe that it was just a dream. The two stay in a derelict shack within the forest for the night, but suspicious Aelwin turns against Hastrel before an unknown figure storms into the shack, knocking Aelwin out. The group encounters a lone pilgrim in The Weary Crest, a tavern in Jehanna. The pilgrim claims that he can be of help with Aelwin's condition. Dunistair is hesitant at first, but lets the pilgrim help with whatever he can. The pilgrim rings a chime and commands Aelwin to rise. The chime is heard by Aelwin within his dream sequence, where he is kidnapped alongside his companion, also trapped within a child's body, before he is knocked out again. Jericho's demands to see Aelwin prompt Dunistair to confront the Redguard once more, resulting in a yet another fight. Appearance and personality Aelwin is a 6 feet 4 inches tall, skinny teenager with a terminal state of the Ephesus Plague virus; black spots cover his whole body, oozing pus and blood when opened, constant coughing of blood and fever. The virus has led him to be handicapped both physically and mentally; he is both a nuisance and a possible threat to the group. It is later revealed that he rots a lot faster than everyone else due to his condition. The Breton is weak, somewhat cowardly and childish; he is often prone to crying and mental breakdowns. Nevertheless, he sometimes appears to be brave enough to try fighting off anything that threatens him. Later in the story, Aelwin is prone to hysteria and recklessness due to his infection, but tries to cope with it as he becomes more serious than he used to be. Equipment Aelwin had nothing but a Leather Jerkin and an old shortsword that he scavenged. He used to keep a bunch of Nightshades and some herbs in his ill-fated attempt to ward off the Plague, it is unknown whether he keeps them to this day. 'Current equipment' *Leather Jerkin Torn *Leather Boots *Silver Shortsword *Common Soul Gem Victims A list of characters and creatures killed by Aelwin. *Revenant Bride Part I *Abelkain Part II *Two soldiers of Lionheart of Jehanna Part III Appearances 'Epoch of Murk: Chapter I' *[http://tes-sandbox.wikia.com/wiki/Thread:176665 Part I: Forsaken] (First appearance) *[http://tes-sandbox.wikia.com/wiki/Thread:181212 Part II: In Danger] *[http://tes-sandbox.wikia.com/wiki/Thread:188556 Part III: Blissful Ignorance] 'Epoch of Murk: Chapter II' *[http://tes-sandbox.wikia.com/wiki/Thread:200978#101 Part IV: Moth Trap] (In a dream sequence) Trivia *Dunistair reminds Aelwin of an old friend. *Aelwin can play the lute. *Aelwin is most often referred to as "sickly Hawksly". *Aelwin's theme, "Hawksly", appears in Kool Khajiit's third album, Epoch of Murk. *Aelwin is the one of the only two characters whose chronic conditions carried on after death, the other being Jericho Volkin, who died of starvation and is constantly feeling hungry. *In "Blissful Ignorance", Aelwin mentions dancing with a girl before his death, the thought making him sad, perhaps hinting that the girl was Aelwin's love interest. *In "Moth Trap", it is revealed that Aelwin does not resurrect upon death, making him the only character that hasn't done so. Category:Characters Category:Epoch of Murk Category:Undead (Epoch of Murk) Category:Bretons Category:Males